Hopper-car-door mechanism



Nov. l5, 1927. 1,649,433

v. wlLLoUGl-IBY HOPPER CARv DOOR MECHANISM Filed Nov. 21, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' ,wrom/fr V. WILLOUGHBY HOPPER CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed Nov. 2l, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 //v Vf/V TUR ZZZ H.

Nov. l5, 1927.v l 1,649,433

v. WILLOUGHBY HOPPER CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed Nov 2l, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 /VTTRNEY- *i NO v. l5, 1927.

V, WILLOUGHBY HOPPR CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed NO. 2l, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /NVE/VTOR Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNTED STATES PATENT '.OFFICE.

VICTOR WILLOUGHBY, OF RTDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN CAR Ann roUNnnY oorrrANY, or NEW YORK, n. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HOPPER-CAR-DOOR MECHANISM.

Application filed November 21, 192.3. Serial No. 676,047.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a railway hoppercar equipped with the invention, certain portions being broken away to show the door .5 locking and Areleasing mechanism parts mounted in serviceposition on the car;

Fig. 42 is a plan-view of a portion of the car with certain parts broken away to show the application or the door mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the car taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in tlie'direction indicated by the arrows and showing the door mechanism assembly in locked position with novel tripping and locking pawl andv actuating arm* elements;

Fig. l is a similar: View showing in i'ull lines he door mechanism in released position just prior to the dropping of the doors` and showing in dotted lines a portion of the door mechanism in the position taken when the doors are dropped.

5 is a sectional view taken on line 5`-5 oi Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by theerrows and showing the crank sha'lt assembly and tripping and locking mechanism;

. llig. (i shows the combination indicator and munter-balance portions of the door locking and releasing assembly; and

Z to 12 inclusive represent the positions ot the crank shafts at opposite ends oi the doors, the sectional views corresponding lli to one on line 7-1 of Fig. 5, and show inV Figs, T and 8 the relative positions of shattthe sprocket wheel has been rotated tothe position shown in Fig. 3 just pior 'to/the Yu locking and tripping operation, and in li l 9 andV 10, the 'relative positions of the after the dropping of the doors7 and Figs. 11 and 12 show` the relative positions ot the lugs on crank shaft and sprocket wheel when the doors have been raised and locked.

hiy invention relates to that class ofV hopper bottoni cars used primarily inthe ore carrying service and has for one of its 0bprovision oi doorI operating mechan. i designed to drop the doors to disclnrrge the lading and tor-aise and support them in closed position, such mechanism including suitable lost motion devices to permit the doors to drop without communicatne' such movement to the operating shai't,

i g l n said lost moti-on devices being adapted lor s" automatically' locking and releasing the lng and the lug on the sprocket wheel after crank arm elements ofr the door operating mechanism.

In the drawings, represents a car oi' the hopper Atype having asingle discharge opening in its bottom, the bottom being closed by a pair of doors 12 hinged at the car sides and meeting with'their free-edges at Ythe longitudinal center of the car. The doors exten-d theentire length or' the door opening and are provided with hinge members 13 secured to the inner longitudinal side sillmembers 14 of the car underframe 1l.

The doors areprovided' at their ends with projecting portions 15 designed Ato permit attachment oi" the door links 16 to the door mechanism. The Vdoor 'links comprise the jaws 17 pivotally connected to links connect,- ed to the door projections 15 by pins y18, the yoke pieces 2O mounted on crank pins 21 having bearings inthe crank frames 22, and. link rods 23pivotally` secured to the yoke pieces 20 and pivotallyk and adjustably secured at their lower endsy to the yjaws 17. This arrangement permits free playr'of the door links throughout the full range of door travel and crank raniemovement. f

The crankframes 22 are pivotally journaled in bearing brackets 19 secured'tothe sloping end lfloor sheets 24 of the hopper 25. J ournaled in thebrac'kets'19 underlying the sloping end floors 24 of theV hopper, the crank frames 22 are in condition to be actuatedy by the operating mechanism to rotate romvthe'ir locking door supporting position sh'ownin full lines in Fig. 3 to their released load discharging position shown in broken lines in lll) Fig. L1. ln their 'door' supporting positionk the crank'trames lie substantially parallel to the sloping end floor sheets of the hopper. In this position the/link rods 23 lie in a plane passing through crank pin 21 and jaw pins 18 and inside of a parallel plane through the axial center of the crank frame trunnions 26, tending thereby-to induce rotation ot' the crank frames toward the hopper end floors 24 and locking them against reverse movement until forced outwardly beyond the d-ead center of the parts whereupon such parts will move under the weight of the doors to release the doors to discharge the ladings.

The operating mechanism comprises apair of crank shafts 30A arranged transversely of the car and mounted adjacent the underside lli) of the sloping end floors 24 and journaled at their outer ends in bearings 3l secured to the outer longitudinal side sill members 32 and engaging at their inner -ends With respectively adjacent crank frame trunnions 26. The crank shafts are provided at their outer ends With lugs 33 designed to engage lugs 34 on driven sprocket Wheels 36 and 37 providing a loose connection between the crank shafts and an operating shaft 35 to permit the dropping ofthe doors and rotation of the crank shafts 30 Without communicating such movement to the operating shaft 35. The driven sprocket Wheels 36 and 37 are loosely fitted to the crank vshafts 30, as shown in Fig. 5, and are formed to interlock with theshaft lugs 33 for limited rotation on the crank shafts and to prevent shifting of the Wheel longitudinally of the shafts. These sprockets are mounted in a plane adjacent the car side andare connected together by a continuous link belt mechanism 38 for the simultaneous operation of the crank frames 22 at opposite ends of the hopper,` the link belt connection being so designed as to effect the relatively opposite rotation of the crank shaft sprockets, crank shafts, and crank frames 22, respectively. The operating shaft 35 extends from side to side of the car and has {iX-ed thereon the driving sprocket Wheel 39. adj acent'and in line With the crank shaft sprocket 36 and engaged by the link belt mechanism 38 Which is in engagement With the sprockets 36 and 37 also. Adjacent this driving` sprocket 39 is fixed a ratchet Wheel 40 designed to'be engaged by a locking paivl 4l fixed to the adjacent end of a paivl shaft 42 parallel tothe operating shaft 35 and also extending from side to side of the car and operable from either sid-e. The paWl 4l is actuated by a handle 43, prefer-V ably integral lwith the pawl and serving as a counter-balance` to either hold said pavvl'in engagement With the ratchet Wheel 40 or out of contact therewith. The operating shaft 35 isv provided With square ends to facilitate operations from either side of the' car by means of a removable lever (not shown).

To insure positive movement of the crank frames 22 past their dead center locking positions during the door opening movement of the mechanism and to prevent v remature dropping of the ldoors through tie failure of. the operating mechanism to assume its proper` door locking dead center position, additional crank mechanism tripping` and locking devices are provided. These devices form part of an assembly comprising mechanism automatically operable through the medium of the lostl motion devices comprising the sprocket Wheel 37 and the adjacent crank shaft 30.

The crankY arm tripping and locking assembly comprises a pair of parallel tripper shafts and 5l arranged transversely of the car at each end of the hopper. Secured to the hopper end iioor sheets 24 at a point adjacent the crank frames 22 When in the locked position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, are door tripper shaft bearings 52 in which the vinner ends of shafts 50 and 51 are supported and have their bearings. At their outer ends these parallel tripper shafts have a bearing in other brackets 53 which may be secured to the inner longitudinal side sill 14 as shown in Fig. F ixed to the inner ends of the tripper shafts 50 and 5l at points adjacent the shaft bearings 52 on thehopper sheets are mounted the tripping and locking pavvls 54 having a tripping arm 55 and a shouldei-ed loc-king arm 56. The tripping arm 55 is designed to bear against yoke piece 2O to force the yoke piece and connected crank frame 22 beyond the dead center locking position shown in Figs. 3 Vand 5, While the function of the shouldered locking arm 56 is to prevent such crank frame movement when said arm is interlocked With shouldered locking lug 57 on the yoke piece 2O as shown in Fig. yrtthe outer end of tripper shaft 50 and in position `to engage lug 53 on sprocket wheel 37 is fixe-d a tripper shaft operating arin 59 arranged with its arm substantially parallel to the tripper arm 55 of thctripping and locking pavvl54 mounted on the same shaft, said relative position being clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. 0n the outer end of tripper lshaft 5l is secured 'the combination connecting rod arm and indicator GO as best shnvfn in Figs. l and 6. ',ihis indicator 66 is of a general bell-crank formation comprises a short arm portion 6l and a longer Weighted arm portion 62 overlying the operating shaft 35 as shown on Figs. l, 2 and G. Connecting the arm 6l of indicator 60 on the tripper shaft v5l at one end of the car to the operating arm 59 on tripper shaft 50 the opposite end of the ycar is a rod 63 for simultaneouslyT communicating the movement ofthe tripper .shaft on one end of the car to the tripper shaft and its parts on the opposite end of tle car. Such movement of the tripper shafts is effected automatically by the oper# ation of the crank shaft mechanism through the medium of the operating shaft 35, all arranged as hereinabove described.

Assuming the doors to be in the locked raised position shown in full line?.l in Figs. l, 3 and 4.,v the doors are released to drop the lading by first rotating the pawl shaft 42 by means of the counter-balance handle 43 to disengage locking pawl 4l from the ratchet Wheel 40 on the operating siaft 35. rThe operating shaft 35 being thus released for rotation, the shaft is rotated by means of a lever fitted over a square end thereof. The rotation of the shaft is in the direction of the center of the car causing the link belt 33 to rotate the sprocket Wheels 36 and 37 yin llt) iii

relatively opposite directions and away from the hopperend floors 24 as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 7 and 8, respectively. Y

Prior to the beginning of sprocket wheel movement they crank'snafts are locked against rot lon by means of the lugs 34e of the sprocket wheels bearing against the lugs oo of the crank shafts as shown in Figs. il and l2. Upon rotation of the sprocket wheels in opposite directions, the lugs 3a on the sproo ets first move away from one side of the temporarily stationary crank shaft lugs 33 to the opposite side of said lugs as shown in Figs. 9 and l0. During this'movementthe sprockets will have rotated idly upon the temporarily' Y stationary crank shafts under the influence ofthe link belt movementV and the crank shafts released to permit rotation thereof.

Continued rotation of the sprockets in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 7 and S wili cause the lug 53 on sprocket wheel 37 to engage tripper haft operating arm 59 on tripper shaftv 50 causing said shaft to rotate ina direction toward the hopper end floor 2a carrying with itl the tripping and locking pawl Since the tripper vshafts 50 and 5l are connected by rod 63, the rotative movement of tripper shaft 50 will be communicated 'to tripper shaft 5l atthe opposite end of the car simultaneousiy and the locking and tripping pawl 54 on the remote tripper shaft 51 will likewise be actuated. Such movement of the tripping and locking pawls 54 will carry their tripping arms 55 into engagement with the respectively adjacent yoke pieces 2O and force the crank frames past their y lead center positron on the crank shaft 30 after vwhichgravity will operate to cause crank frames to meid to the weight of the supported load and more to the released position indicated lli) in broken lines in Figge, whereupon the doors drop to the broken'line position indicated in Fig. i.' During 'the rotation Vof the tripper shafts the locking arms 56 of the tripping and locking pawls will movey away from the path of movement of locking lugs 5T on yoke pieces Q0 before the tripping arms 55 will have come into contact with the reir of the yoke pieces thereby reeascrank frames for movementunder e of the tripping arms Durperiod of movement tl e connectii'ig under the influence 'of the movement fr the of lur` 53 of sprocket wheel 37 against operating arm 59 on tripping shaft 50will move in a direction away from the tripping shaft 5i at the opposite end of the car and carry with it crank rm portion (il of the dicator (it) cansino" the indicatorarm 62 to rise thereby indicating to the operator that the mechanism is unlocked and in condition to permit he ie of the doors. y l

To raise the doors, the counter-balance 1. Ici

, 'by the arro w handles 43 are drawn back from' their unlocking position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l to their initial ratchet locking position shown in full lines in that figure. This movement rotates the pawl shaft a2 and carries the ratchet pawl into engagement with Vthe ratchet wheel and locks the operating shaft 35 against rotation in the opposite direction during the door raising operation. The operating shaft 35 is then rotated in a direction away from the hopper to effect a reverse movement of the linkbelt 38 causing` the rotation of the sprocket wheels in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. .il and l2. Continuing 'thus to rotate, the operating shaft will cause the sprocket wheel lugs 3a to exert a driving force against crank shaft lugs 33 and cause rsaid shafts to rotate to return the crank frames 22 and the doors to their raised and locked positions indicated in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4.

During vthe movement of the sprocket wheels 3o and '3T in the direction indicated in Figs. l1 and l12, the lug 53 on sprocket wheel 37 will have moved away from the operating arm 59 of tripping shaft 50 and allowed the weighted indicator arm '62 to drop to the position indicated in Fig.

G and to reverse the movement of connecting rod 63 under the power of the crank'arm 5l of the indicator, which movementI will cause the operating arm 59 to return to its initial position asv indicated in Fig. 3. This movement of indicator 60 and operating arm 59 under the'iniiuence of the force exerted by 'the weight of indicator arm 62 will cause the reverse rotation of their respective shafts 51 land 5G and force the shouldered locking arms 56 of the tripping and locking pawls 54 into .the path of 'and subsequent engage` ment with the shouldered locking lug 5T on the yoke piece 2O and simultaneously moving the tripping arms 55 out of engagement with said yoke pieces. In this position of the parts the mechanism is locked against premature release, due to possible failure 'of the' crank frame mechanism to assum its full dead center locking position on the crank shafts.'

F rom the foregoing it will be noted that there has been provided a releasing and locking mechanism simple in construction and positive in its operation, the releasing andlocking assembly being operable' automatically through the medium of the movement of the lost motion devices of the door operating mechanism.

l 'That I claim is:

l. A hopper car having a single discharge opening anda pair of drop doors cl' 'ng said opening, crank shaft mechanism adiacent the ends yof the doors, an operating shaft, lost motion devices between said operating shaft and crank shaft mechanism and ico means operated by said lost motion devices to lock and release said crank shaft mecha-nism.

2. door operating mechanism for hopper car doors arranged longitudinally of the car and including crank shaft mechanism adjacent the opposite ends of said doors, an operating shaft, lost motion devices between said operating shaft and crank shaft mechanism, and locking and unlocking mechanism for said crank shaft mechanism automatically actuated by said lost motion devices.

3.1n a door operating mechanism for drop doors, crank shafts connected to the ends of said doors, lost motion devices on said shafts, and crank shaft locking and releasing mechanism automatically actuated by said lost motion devices. n

l. In a door-operating mechanism for cars having a pair of drop doors, crank mechanism including' lost motion devices adjacent the opposite ends of said doors and locking and releasing mechanism comprising a pair of tripper shafts respectively adjacent the the crank mechanism, tripping and locking pawls fixed to said tripper shafts in position to engage the crank mechanism and adapted to automatically unlock and release said crank mechanism upon actuation of said tripper shafts.

5. in a door operating mechanism for drop doors, crank shaft mechanism connected to the ends of said doors, lost motion devices on said shafts, and tripping and releasing mechanism adapted to be automatically actuated by said lost motion devices and including a pair of tripper shafts respectively adjacent the crank shaft mechanism, a. pawl fixed to the respective inner ends of said tripper shafts and provided with locking and tripper arms adapted to alternately engage and disengage the crank sha-ft mechanism.

6. The combination with the drop doors of a hopper car havinOr a single discharge opening, crank shaft mechanism adjacent the opposite ends 0f said doors, an operating shaft, lost motion devices between said crank shaft mechanism and operating shaft,

and releasing and locking mechanism including a pair of tripper shafts respectively7 adjacent said crank shaft mechanism and provided with a tripping and lockingl j awl fired to one end thereof, said releasing` and locking mechanism being automatically actuated by said lost motion devices.

7. ln a dumping car, dumping doors, door-operating mechanism for raising` said doors having a lost motion device therein anda locking means for said door-operating mechanism operated by said lost motion device to release said door-operating mechanism.

8. ln a dumping car, dumping doors, a

crank shaft operatively connected to said doors, an operating means for said crank shaft having a lost motion connection therewith and a locking means for said crank shaft operated by said crank shaft operating` means during the free movement thereof to release said crank shaft.

9. in a dumping car, dumping doors, a crank shaft operatively connected to said doors, a locking means for said crank shaft and operating' means for said crank shaft having a lost motion connection therewith adapted to operate said locking means to release said crank shaft during said lost motion and means to operate said crank shaft to drop said door-s during the release movement of said locking means.

i0. A. door-operating mechanism comprising parts having` a lost motion connection and a lock preventing movement of one of said parts until disengaged from said part by the operation of the other of said parts during the free movement thereof.

11. A door-operating mechanism comprising parts having a lost motion connection and locking and tripping means for one of said parts operated by the other of said parts during the free movement thereof to first reiease and then operate said first part.

A door-operating mechanism comprising parts having a lost motion connection and a lock for one of said parts operated by the other of said parts during the free movenient thereof to release said first part, and means automatically returning said lock to locking position upon reverse movement of said other part.

13. In a door-operating mechanism, a crank shaft operatively connected to the door7 a locking and tripping mechanism for said crank shaft and operating means for said crank shaft having a lost motion connection therewith adapted to operate said locking and tripping means during the free movement of said ope-rating means.

let. In a door-operating mechanism, a crank shaft operatively connected to the door, means to operate said crank shaft to raise the door having a lost motion connection therewith and 'locking and tripping means for said crank shaft operated by said shaft operating means to release and operate said shaft to open the door during the free movement of said shaft operating means.

l5. ln a 4door-operating mechanism, a crank shaft operatively connected to the door, an operating means for said crank shaft having a lost motion connection therewith and a lock forsaid crank shaft operated to release said crank shaft and tripping means operated to cause operation of said crank shaft by said operating means during the free movement thereof.

16. In a door-operating mechanism, a crank shaft operatively connected to the door, an operating means for said crank shaft having a lost motion connection therewith and a lock for said crank shaft operated to release said cranlr shaft and` a tripping means operated to cause operation ot' said crank shaft by said operating means during the free movement thereof, said lock and said tripping means being automatically restored upon the operation ot said crank shaft by said operating means.

17. A. door-operating mechanism comprising means connected to the door, operating mechanism connected to said means by a lost motion connection and a lock for said means operated by said mechanism.

18. A door-operating mechanism comprising meansI pivotally connected to the door, operating mechanism connected to said means by a lost motion connection and a loci; engaging said means controlled by said operating mechanism.

19. A door-operating mechanism ccmprising means connected to the door, mechanism to operate said means to raise the door and a tripping device operated by said mechanism to operate said means to drop the door.

20. A door-operating mechanism comprising means connected to a door, mechanism to operate said means to raise the door and a loclr and tripping device adapted to hold the door in raised position and operated by said mechanism to release the door ant operate said means to drop the door.

21. A door-operating mechanism comprising means having a lost motion connection therein and a lock for the door engaging said door operating mechanism and operated by said means during said lost motion.

22. A door-operating mechanism comprising means having a lost motion connection therein and a lock and tripping device for the door operated by said means during said lost motion to release the door and cause the door to drop.

p 23A. door-operating mechanism comprising means having a lost motion connection therein and a door-tripping device operated during said lost motion to initiate the opening of the door7 said means being operative to open said door upon taking up lost motion upon failure of said tripping device.

24. In a dumping car, a dumping door` operating mechanism for said door and a door-tripping device operated by said mechanism to initiate the openingof said door, said means being operative to open said door upon failure of said tripping device.

25. In a dumping car, a dumping door, means operative to raise said door and a lock and tripping device for said means operated by said means, said lock being disengaged prior to the engagement of said tripping device with said means.

26. In a. dumping car, a dumping door, means operative to raise said door and a. locking device for said means and tripping device for said means operated by said means` said locking and tripping devices engaging said means alternatively. Y

2?. In a dumping car7 a dumping door7 means operative to raise said door and a locking device for said means disengaged from said means by the operation of said means.

28. In a dumping car, al dumping door, means operative to open and close said door having a lost motion connection therein-and a door tripping device operated by said means to initiate the opening of said door during said lost motion.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

VICTOR WILLOUGHBY. 

